Radiotube



my 23, w29. E, A, KUEN ET M, "352mm RADIOTUBE Filed NOV. 28, 1925 'Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

EUGENE A. KU'EN, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO, AN D CLARENCE L. PATTERSON, 0F NE'IRQIZI?,y f MICHIGAN.

BADIOTUBE.

Application led November 28, 1925. Serial No. 71,979.

This invention relates to and has for an object to produce a radio tube in which a source of filament current supply which 1s of low or high voltage may be used.

A further object is to produce a radio tube in which, although a low or high voltage lament current is employed, the tube will perform its functions with as great a degree of eiliciency with one Voltage as with the other.

A further object is to produce a radio tube in which provision has been made to enable the tube to perform its functions regardless of whether filament damage or destruction has occurred or not. .y

These and other objects are attained 1n the tube described in the following specicatlon and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental sectional eleyation of a tube embodying one form of our invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional'elevation of a tube embodying another form of our 1nvention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmental perspectlve views showing the base of a tube of the style we have shown in Fig. 1, but Adi'eringm that they show the tube adapted for use with diierent voltages. o

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a link which is employed as a detail in enabllng the tube to be used under different voltages and conditions.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are bottom views showmg the terminal and connecting link arrangements which may be employed in adapting the tube to different voltages and conditions. Figs. 9'and 10 are somewhat diagrammatic viewsshowing the arrangement of the tube elements and terminals for differentv voltage and other connections.

We have chosen for purposes of this deseription, embodiments of our invention, which are tubes adapted to be used for signal receiving purposes, although it is perfectly obvious that the same idea applies as well to tubes for transmission. purposes. In the tubes we have shown it will be assumed throughout the description that the usual 6 and 3 volt filament current supply are employed.

As shown in both the forms we have disclosed, the invention is seen to be particularly adapted to a form of tube which may be readily used as a tube We will now describe the tube shown inv Fig. 1 and to which Figs. 3 to 8 refer, as do also Flgs. 9 and 10, which latter lalso refer to the tube shown in Fig. 2 andwhich will be described hereinafter. The tube shown in Fig. 1 has a base 11 with the usual envelope 12 which encloses the 'tube elements. The elements within the tube consist of a filament having two eii'ective portions 13 and 14, with the respective grids 15 and 16 surroundmg these filament portions, and plates 17 and 18 encircling the grids. The upper ends of the filament portions are supported by a standard 19, while the grids are supported by the standards 20 and 21 respectively, and the plates by standards 22 and 23 respectively. The lower ends of the filament portlons are supported by standards 24 and 25 respectively. All these standards are embedded in the usual glass stem 26 which extends into the envelope, leads 27,28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 extending from these standards into the base for connection to the terminals. The base carries all the tube terminals, which consist of the following: There are four contact pins 34, 35, 36 and 37 to 34, 36 and 37 of which the respective leads 27, 30 and 33 are connected, pin 35 bein left unconnected. Centrally of the base an between the contact pins is a recess or thimble contact 38, which is equally spaced from ins 34 and 35 in particular. Adjacent to t imble 38, but lying adjacent to the outer edge of the base and spaced the same equal distances from pins 34 and 35 vas thimble 38 is spaced from these pins is another thimble 39. To th'imble 38 the lead 28 is connected and to thimble 39 the lead 29 is connected. The base is also provided Y. with terminal plates 40 and 41 which are preferably embedded therein and are located adjacentto the upper edge thereof so as to be available for contact above a mounting socket in which the tube may be mounted. The usual locating pin 42 is provided in the base to assure correct vpositioning thereof in its mounting socket.

Wehave endeavored to indicate the polarity and element connections to which the several pins and plates lead, bymeans of signs and letters, as forA example P and G, so that their connection with the contained elements of the tube may be more easily'un derstood. However, it is not the plate and grid elements, their positions, arrangement, or connection with their respective ternunal pins and plates which constitute the .features of novelty of our present invent1on, 'but rather does it lie in the filament, its particular form and the connections it has with the pins 34 and 35 and the coacting thimbles '38 and 39. In a copending application Sexual No. 62,550 which was filed by Eugene A. Kuen on October 15, 1925, a tube havlng a filament of more than one effective portion, is disclosed. However, in this application the in-` vention described does not lay claim-to this feature, but merely employs it to bring out the essential feature of the present invention, viz: the construction of a tube adaptable to use with either of two filament current volta es.

gTo understand the novel features of our invention quite readily the reader is referred to the diagrammatic disclosures made 1n Figs. 9 and 10. Here are found the two plates and the two grids with the two effectwe portions of the filament. If, as shown in Fig.

9, the standard 19 is left unconnected, and the opposite ends of the filament portions are connected with the positive and ne ative'sides of a source of current supply, we lave a filament which requires a certain voltage, as for example from a source of supply of 6 volts. If, however, the standard 19 is connected with one side of the currentsupply, as for example `the negative side, and the ends of the filament are connected with the positivel side, We have both portions of the lament functioning as independent filaments, each operating under half the voltageas the pre'- vious connection, as for example, three volts. It now merely remains for the proper provisions to be made to bring about this accomplishment with the pin and thimbleconnections we have already described. These provisions wel have made in the form ofv links of the shape shown in Fig. 5. For each tube two links are employed. Each of these links consists of a strap 43 with spring tension pin gripping sleeves 44 and 45 at its ends. These sleeves are on opposite sides of the strap so that one of them may be pushed into one of the thimbles 38 or 39'while the other is pushed over one of the pins 34 or 35. Thus, 1n use, the arrangement of these links is somewhat as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

`For example, assuming that the entire tube is to be used, it may be usedas a six volt or a three volt tube, with both effective portions of the filament utilized in each instance, or assuming that but one half of the tube is to be used, either one or the other of the filament portions may be utilized to produce a three volt tube. 4

Let us now describe the tube' as it is to be used when employed as a six volt structure in which both portions of the filament are illuminated. First, thebottom of the tube base is provided with but a single link which extends from the minus pin on the base to centrally positioned thimble 38, as shown in Fig. 7. Thus, with no other link, the circuit connections established extend froin pin 34 through lead 27, standard 24, filament portions 13 and 14, standard 25, lead 28, thimble 38, link 43 and pin With suitable grid and plate connections which need not be described, the tube may thus be placed into operation as a six volt tube structure.

If it is now desired to cause the tube to function as an entirety, but as a three volt structure, we employ'two links of the type shown in Fig. 5. One of these links is placed over the positive pin 34 and in thimble 38 while the other is placed over` the negative pin 35 and into thimble 39, as shown in Fig. 8. Thus the circuit established in the tube introduces the current to the two lower ends of the filament simultaneously, thence .through filament portions 13 and 14 simultaneously and with a common return through standard 19, lead 29, thimble 39, and the other link to pin 35.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the diagrannnatic views show the respective six volt and three volt arrangements just described, the plus and minus signs indicating plainly just what is taking place when the link connections are made.

Now, we will describe the use of our improved tube with but one or the other of the only grid 15 and plate 17 are available for use,

the grid 16 and plate 18 not being useable because `of the dormant condition of portion 14.

I f it be desired4 to use filament portion 14 instead of filament portion 13, we employ two of the links shown in Fig. 5. The arrangement of these links to secure this operation of filament portion 14 is like that shown in Fig. 3. One link extends from negative pin 35 to the central thimble 38 whilethe other link extendsfrom positive pin 34 to the outer thimble 39. This connectlon places a shunt across filament portion 13 and directs the current through standard 19 and filament portion 14 alone. Thus only grid 16 and plate 18 are available for usage while ously mentioned, in which the filament comprises more than one electron emissive or effective portion. The inner ends of the filament portions 46 and 47 of this tube-arc supported by a central standard 48 which has connection with plates 49 and 50 in the end caps .or bases 51 and 52 of the tube, the outer endsof the filament portions having support in the short standard 53 and 54 to which filament terminal pins 55 and 56 are connected. Thus, if it is desired to have the tube -function in its entirety as a six volt structure, the source of current supply is connected with the terminal pins 55 and 56 of respective positive and negative polarity. However, it' it is desiredto have the tube function in its entirety as a three volt structure, the pins 55 and 56 are both connected with the same polarity and plates 49 and 50 to the opposite polarity. For example, pins 55 and 56 may be made both positive while plates 49 and 50 are both made negative. And now. should it be desired to cause but one of the filament portions to become illuminated, it is merely 'necessary to disconnect one or the other yof' the connections with terminal pins 55 and 56, thus rendering dormant or inactive that portion of the filament which is defective, destroyed or which it is not desired to'use. It is quite obvious therefore that no links or other additional attachments are necessary in the tube We have j ust described.

v With this vdescription of the two forms of` tube we have disclosed, it may be truly said that our invention consists in constructing a tube in which a kfilament is provided which has a center tap so that the enti-re filament maybe utilized or one or the other of the filament port-ions may be utilized. center tapped filament construction enables the user to utilize the filament in its entirety by employing the center tap so that both fila ment portions may be utilized simultaneously,

thus giving for example three volt current' usage or, by treating the filament. as though it had no center filament tap, the entire tube may be caused to function` as for example a six volt construction. Also, by shunting or disconnecting one of the filament portions we are enabled to use the desired one of these Such a v ,which it is desired to have function, thus enabling the half ofthe tube to` function as a three volt tube.

A linle of the type. disclosed in Fig. 5 has been described, but we do not Wish to be con-y fined to the particular type of link or to the styleof pin and thimble connection shown. ln fact any suitable connection, Whether it be detachable or permanent, is as effective.

Also it may have already occurred to the reader that an advantage we have attained in the center tapped filament construction lies in the ability of the tube user to still have an operative tube structure in the event that one of the filament portions burns out or becomes ineffective.

We have described tubes in which the i I plates and grids'are in separatedpairs, but we do not Wish to convey the thought that such an arrangement necessitates the use of each cooperating set of plates and grids as separate units, but desire to point out that it is perfectly possible to tie the plates together to function as one large plate and to tie the grids together in a similar mannerv to function as 4one large grid. This tying together v may be accomplished outside the tube or the tube may be made with an interior connection by means of which such an accomplishment may be attained.

Having thus described our. invention what we claim is:

A radio tube containing a filament hav-v affixed our signatures.

EUGENE A. KUEN. oLARENcEL. PATTERSON. 

